Theatre Breaks with Free Hotel Offer was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

If you haven’t seen Rachel Tucker in Wicked yet then you must book Wicked theatre breaks soon, she’s fabulous.

Here’s a video from West End Live last weekend which doesn’t do justice to the full theatre performance of Wicked by any means, but gives an idea of how talented a performer Rachel Tucker is.

Before landing the part of Elphaba in Wicked, Rachel Tucker has played both Meat and Scaramouche in We Will Rock You and before that was a finalist in the I’d Do Anything TV casting show to find a Nancy for Oliver.

And here’s the backstage interview conducted by Keith Martin of Leicester Square TV with Rachel Tucker of Wicked herself:

In the interview, Rachel Tucker describes how Wicked is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Loosely based on the Wizard of Oz Wicked has a kind of twist to it. It’s the story of how the good witch and the bad witch became enemies, so Dorothy has nothing really to do with it. It’s an amazing moral story highly relevant to anybody who has ever been bullied or discriminated against just for being different.

Wicked Theatre Breaks with Rachel Tucker as Elphaba was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

Here’s the news today, Theatre Breaks have launched their summer offer with a 10% discount off everything on the website!

Theatre Breaks site wide Summer Sale kicks off today, June 15th and lasts for the whole of June.

Every theatre break booked will be at a saving of 10%… All Shows, All Hotels, All the Extras… All at 10% Off.

Here’s the link for the 10% discount:

Theatre Breaks with 10% Off Everything

So you can tailor make your break as usual with your choice of show, hotel and dates and create yourself a bargain!

*Book today for big savings – Theatre & Hotel Packages from just £55.80 per person!
*Book today and upgrade to a 4 or 5 star hotel – with the money you save.
*Book today and plan ahead – secure your Summer Holiday, Half-term getaway, Christmas do or New Year’s bash – all at a great reduction.

The discount will run until 1700hrs GMT, June 30th – leaving you only a few days to take advantage of a great saving on your next trip to London, whenever that might be.

Theatre Breaks

Here’s the link again for the 10% discount:

Theatre Breaks with 10% Off Everything

10% OFF all Theatre Breaks was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

The search for Dorothy

Over the Rainbow, the BBC’s search for a Dorothy for The Wizard of Oz, moves into a more serious phase now. We’ve said goodbye to Dani Rayner and Emilie Fleming. You can read more about them  and their departure on the Wizard of Oz London blog. Now we are on to the really hard stuff. There  7 girls left and every single one of them is a potential star.

She could still be Dorothy

These girls are tightrope walking without a net, the slightest falter and they are gone. The standard is so high in this competition I’m convinced we are now watching the start of at least 4 classic West End leading ladies careers and 2 possible pop divas!

Here they all are performing this week’s mash-up:

Click here to view the embedded video.

So, in classic Over the Rainbow style, here  are the remaining contestants in no particular order:

Danielle Hope, 17, from Manchester
I  like Danielle. I thought she would do well but I was not sure  at first about her voice. Well, now I am sure! She could be Dorothy.  Her voice is much better than I’d realised and she has a great tone combined with real power and strength in ballads. She can act too and her dancing is pretty good. More than any of that she has star quality and I think she could be a long term West End hit.

Jenny Douglas, 18, from Scotland
Jenny is cute and attractive. She’s got a smashing voice and a great quirky quality. Her dancing is coming on and she is definitely still in the running. If it doesn’t work out for her I think she’d make a super pop singer. I disagreed with the panel and enjoyed her version of Warwick Avenue!

Lauren Samuels, 22, from London
I love being proved wrong! I wasn’t that keen on Lauren but she’s really grown on me. Great voice, good dancer, nice acting skills. I think that even if she’s not Dorothy,(and she may well be!) she’ll still go far. I think she’ll be in the top 5

Sophie Evans, 17, from Wales

Well, Andy said “She’s Welsh, of course she can sing”  but I’m afraid we’re just not hearing it at the moment. She’s got it all there, singing, dancing even acting  but she seems to be holding back. I think she’s a bit overwhelmed, poor kid. I fear she’s the weak link at the moment and was lucky that Andrew Lloyd Webber saved her. Personally, based on the sing-off, I would have saved Emilie!

Stephanie Davis, 17, from Merseyside
Stephanie has a great voice and good dancing skills. Full of life, warmth and energy. She’d make a charming Dorothy and I expect her to be in the top 5. If not she’s going to have a great career anyway either on stage or as a recording artist. Love that voice, as Charlotte Church said “I could listen to you sing the phone book!” I do wonder about her acting range but only because she’s not really had chance to show us.

Jessica Robinson, 18, from Middlesborough
Great face, something of the Liza Minnelli or maybe Lorna Luft there. Little bit gawky and awkward sometimes, and so were they at her age. She going to be a star. I’m not totally sure she’s Dorothy but watch this space. This girl will go far. I’d love to see her do musical comedy but there’s more depth to her than just that.

Steph Fearon, 21, from London
Good voice, good dancer, nice acting skills, great on stage presence. Steph can still be a little bit too R&B sometimes but she’s got to be a contender. She is becoming a real favourite and she’s got the maturity to handle a huge production resting on her shoulders.

The Wizard of Oz and the Search for Dorothy Continues

I’ve really been enjoying the programmes this time. As far as reality casting TV goes this show must be the best they’ve done. Andy’s been collecting all the videos over on The Wizard of Oz London blog so if you’ve missed anything, or you just want to see something again you can find them there.

Who’s your favourite?

Over the Rainbow – the final 7 was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

Mamma Mia!

Mamma Mia, the Abba musical, is 11 years old this month and it has become a firm favourite for theatre breaks. We went along to see the show recently and I can really see why it remains so popular. It was a terrific night out, full of fun, laughter and good music. We came out of the theatre surprised to find ourselves back in London, always a good sign.

Mamma Mia – it’s not the film

Well, we’ve all seen and enjoyed the film of Mamma Mia and the show transports us to that magical Greek island. This is done partly with a deceptively simple set and lighting effects but mostly it’s the acting and the music that transports us.
The show follows a slightly different tack to the film and concentrates a little bit more on the younger members of the cast. In the film Sophie (the daughter) and Sky (her fiance) are quite minor characters in many ways. On stage this changes and some of the most memorable songs are performed by these two.

It’s Abba but not as we know it.

The music is undoubtedly Abba and you do find that you tend to know all the words. The difference is that the songs have been transformed into musical theatre and suddenly you can hear the strength of the melodies and the power of the words. I’ve never been fond of Abba but I enjoyed the show immensely. For Abba fans, and there were quite a few of them there, it is total bliss.

The show is timeless and ageless

I was worried that the show might have dated but I shouldn’t have been. It still seems as fresh, fun and charming as it did when it opened. If you are old enough to remember Abba the first time around, you’ll love it even if you wouldn’t have been seen dead listening to something so ‘uncool’ at the time!

The costumes are fun, especially the Donnna and the Dynamites, Abba at it’s most kitsch ! The ensemble’s costumes in the hen night scene did find me occasionally wondering if I could revive some old 70′s favourites before common sense took over

But what really impressed me was the age range of people enjoying the show.

Sitting next to me was an Indian lady who had brought her grandchildren, two delightful little girls (ages 6 and 8). They all loved the show and Grandma joined in with many of the songs! There were lots of children at the performance I went to and they were all very well behaved, perhaps because what was going on on stage really caught their attention. Even on a Monday night the cast were full of energy and fizz. They created a real party atmosphere and by the end of the evening everyone was on their feet singing, clapping and dancing along.

Mamma Mia Theatre Breaks was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

Hair Theatre Breaks – time travel to a land that never was…..

Hair is back in the West End and we can travel back in time for a theatre break to that heady, hairy place that was the Summer of Love. We’ve all heard the cliche that if you remember the 60s you weren’t there, well, the new production of the 60s hit musical Hair takes us back to one version of that time of flower power, beads and illicit substances.

Hair theatre breaks

Last Tuesday night we had the chance to see the lively new Broadway production of Hair. I was really looking forward to the show as it’s been on my wish list ever since I heard it was coming (More about  Hair). Of course, this cast of bright energetic young Americans weren’t even born when Hair arrived in London for the first time. (I worry that just possibly neither were some of their parents – moving swiftly on!) For them Hair is a period piece from a time as exotic and unfamiliar as the 1920s. I’m old enough to remember the 60s, or to be more precise, I was trying to re-create them for most of the early 70s.

At first tiny details that weren’t ‘quite’ right jarred slightly. A few minutes in though I suddenly realised that being ‘right’ really didn’t matter. I was watching a wonderful, energetic interpretation of a kind of fairy tale.

We weren’t in the 60s at all. We were in Neverland with a group of Lost Boys, Peter Pan (Burger) and the rest of the cast. So I stopped worrying about historical accuracy and relaxed into a most enjoyable evening of music, dance and humour.

The music of the show is wonderful, from the iconic start of The Age of Aquarius via Good Morning Starshine to the final auditorium wide singing of Let the Sun Shine in we are swept along by a succession of  huge hits and tiny masterpieces like Frank Mills. If you can’t get to London to see the show buy the album on Amazon – you won’t regret it!

Who Will Enjoy Hair?

Looking round the audience, and we got a better look at them than you usually do as a huge number of people made it onstage for the final song, Hair seems to appeal to all ages. There were a few aging ex-hippies (you know who you are!) but just about every age from 14 or so up was represented. Hair does of course famously have full frontal (actually rather tasteful and touching) nudity, references to drug use and quite explicit (and not at all tasteful, but fun!) sexual references. You might think twice about taking your younger children or your aging aunt. On second thoughts aging aunts are an unpredictable bunch and can have quite interesting pasts!

Hair theatre breaks

Book Hair Theatre Breaks

Hair Theatre Breaks was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

If They Could See Me Now - Charity (Tamzin Outhwaite)

Sweet Charity will start previews at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket  on April 23rd after a sell out run at the Mernier Chocolate Factory. At the moment the show is booking through to January 2011.

The show has been a big hit with audiences and critics alike. Tamzin Outhwaite’s outstanding performance in the title role has even been remarked on by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Sweet Charity will make a brilliant treat for theatre breaks fans. We follow Charity Hope Valentine as she travels a bumpy path in pursuit of love. Charity is a paradox, a scheming innocent, a dreamer who always gives her heart and her trust to the wrong man. She still travels hopefully and despite all her misadventures, or perhaps because of them, she still captures the audience’s heart along the way.

Sweet Charity has some favourite show stopping musical numbers that you will know the words to including  If They Could See Me Now, (Hey) Big Spender! and The Rhythm of Life and some less familiar numbers that deserve to be better known.

The jazz dance style of the show is classic Fosse with those now familiar elements of bowler hatted  dancers  with lots of shoulder rolls, knees, elbows, and wrists bent at unlikely angles. Expect syncopated rhythms, lots of toe tapping, finger clicking and pelvic thrusts. This is the original that shows like Chicago built their dance style on. And this production really does it justice!

Click here to view the embedded video.

History of the Show

Sweet Charity is based on Federico Fellini’s screenplay for Nights of Cabiria. The show was choreographed and conceived by Bob Fosse, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon. The original production directed by Fosse opened on January 29, 1966 on Broadway at the Palace Theatre, and ran for 608 performances. Nominated for 12 Tony Awards the show only won  for Fosse’s choreography.
The 1969 film version of Sweet Charity  (which I love!) was also directed and choreographed by Fosse. It starred Shirley MacLaine as Charity Hope Valentine and until recently I thought hers was the definitive Charity. Tamzin Outhwaite does a brilliant job of making the part and especially  If They Could See Me Now her own.

Sweet Charity Theatre Breaks

As yet (April 15th) Show and Stay do not seem to have theatre breaks to Sweet Charity available on the site. They do suggest that breaks will soon be available with prices starting from £113 per person.

TheatreBreaks.com also have the show on their site but are not showing any performances as available

Superbreaks does have availability and prices start from £109 per person.

You could also try a build your own theatre break. UKTickets have tickets from £31 per person during previews rising to £42 in May.

Book Sweet Charity Theatre Breaks

Sweet Charity was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

I went to see Mamma Mia! the London stage show last night at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Piccadilly and enjoyed the show immensely.

Jessie May as Sophie was captivating right from the opening scene and as soon as she opened her mouth the most beautiful sound came out, which then continued perfectly throughout the show. Having already seen the film version with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosman, Julie Walters et al, the rather fanciful plot held no surprises but the London stage version portrayed the younger characters much more sympathetically than the slightly annoying americanised teenagers in the film. The set is very appealing in a rustic Mediterranean sort of way but it’s not the colours and lights that transport you to a Greek island, it’s the acting and the costumes.

Coming out of the theatre I was totally surprised to be dumped back into a somewhat chilly spring night on the dazzling streets of London Theatreland.

So I’d definitely recommend Mamma Mia for theatre breaks, and not just for single sex groups or Abba fans either. Anybody who remembers the 1970s or has dreamed of running away to a Greek Island, will have a great time at this so called “feel good show” that really lives live up to the promises.

Mamma Mia! London was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

The search for the perfect Dorothy for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s forthcoming production of the Wizard of Oz continued in Over the Rainbow this weekend.

The latest hopeful to hand back her silver shoes (don’t get me started on how weird that is!) was Bronte Barbe. I felt really sorry for her as she’d obviously not expected to go out so early. I thought she was a good bet for the top 5 (so did ALW!) but the public vote disagreed.

Bronte Barbe

Bronte comes from Macclesfield, a quiet, sensible town at the edge of the Peak District. It’s not quite Kansas but I expect it sometimes feels like it to someone like Bronte! She lives there with her Mum, sister and dog.  She’s only 18 and she’d been working as a volunteer teacher at her former dance school before the show.  She does have some amateur musical theatre experience and she’s got her Grade 8. I think she’ll do well and she could have been Dorothy.

Over the Rainbow Show 5 put an end to Bronte’s Dreams of the Emerald City

One not quite brilliant performance of K.T. Tunstall’s Suddenly I See and Bronte was doomed to be in the bottom two. I thought quite a few of the Dorothys were on dodgy ground on Saturday night’s show. The producers had given them all songs that went against type. Some of the girls pulled it off but I agreed with the public vote that both Bronte and Lauren struggled. I though Sophie struggled even more than either of them though so I was surprised that she survived.

Steph on the other hand was a revelation singing “It’s So Quiet” she seemed to finally get her R&B warbling under control and give us a real musical theatre number. Very nice! Not sure she’s Dorothy but still, very nice.

So why did ALW save Lauren? He said it was down to experience and Lauren is 22 against Bronte’s 18. However I also think Lauren has a stronger voice. She might even be Dorothy  if she can just stop mugging to the camera!

Goodbye Bronte

Click here to view the embedded video.

My Favourites for Dorothy

My favourites at the moment, in no particular order (where did I get that idea from?) are:

Jenny Douglas – Good voice & full of life and devilment.

Danielle Hope – Reasonable voice, good stage presence. A strong dancer she has that adolescent quality that Dorothy will need.

Dani Rayner – Lovely voice, looks the part, just a bit worried about her acting skills and very young at only 16.

And almost any of the others – it is as they say, all to play for, and the standard is so high that one slip can be fatal. I’d feel sorry for them but I know how well many previous losers have done! Talent won’t be ignored and for some of them not being Dorothy might be the best career move they’ll ever make! Bronte would make a smashing Glinda for Wicked

Bronte is not Dorothy was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

The search for Dorothy

Over the Rainbow continues Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for Dorothy this Easter weekend. By Sunday night we will know which girl will go home and definitely not be Dorothy. While we wait for that result I thought I’d take a look at the panel of judges, tell you a bit more about each of them and explain why they are uniquely qualified to help choose Dorothy.

Charlotte Church

I suppose most of us know who Charlotte Church is, or at least think we do. After all some of us remember her first TV appearance with Richard and Judy. On that occasion she was a child with an amazing voice who sang Pie Jesu down a phone line because her aunt had rung in to Good Morning.

Charlotte Church

We watched her grow up and for a while turn into  a bit of a wild child. Well, she’s moved on somewhat since that. Although she doesn’t have any musical theatre experience there is a lot she could teach the Dorothies.

She’s a very good technical singer with a deep understanding of how voices work. She also seems to be quite good at explaining to the girls which aspects of their singing they need to work on.

John Partridge

John Partridge

We  all know John Partridge best these days from his soap career as a member of the EastEnders cast but he has a long history in musical theatre. John was a member of the touring cast of Cats in 1988 at the tender age of 17 so he understands some of what the younger Dorothies are going to face. Then much later he starred in the West End production of Cats first as Rum Tum

Tugger and later as Mukustrap. He also played Rum Tum Tugger in the film. John has also played lead roles in Starlight Express, Miss Saigon and Rent. He’s bringing this depth of musical theatre experience to the panel  and giving the girls quite detailed feedback on their performances.

Sheila Hancock

Sheila Hancock

What to say about a trouper like Sheila Hanock? She’s a gifted and intelligent actress who also sings. She has  an impressive depth of knowledge and experience in the theatre.  Her list of theatrical credits would take up the whole page! An alumnus of Joan Littlewood’s famous Theatre Workshop, Sheila has been treading the West End stage since 1958. She’s currently appearing in Sister Act as the Mother Superior and still enthralling audiences.

The best thing about her in this context though is that she can  and does clearly and precisely tell the girls how to improve their performances.

Dorothies or Dorothys?

I’m torn. Should it be ‘Dorothies‘ or ‘Dorothys’. I’ve checked and that august organ the BBC uses Dorothys. I was always taught that proper nouns (names etc.) that ended in ‘y’ took ‘s’ for their plural form.  but my co-writer here, and editor, Andy prefers Dorothies. Which of us is correct? Do you know?

Over the Rainbow – the judges was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog